We’ve photographed Grand Marais plenty over the years—usually for lighthearted travel stories. But this assignment was different. With a true crime twist and a request for moody, red-lit images, we approached things in a whole new way.

At the art director’s request, we lit every scene with a red strobe, opting to get the look in-camera rather than fix it in Photoshop (less computer time = happier us). Blue hour gave us the perfect mix of ambient and artificial light to create a consistent, cinematic feel.

This shoot pushed us creatively and let us see one of our favorite places through a very different lens.